Getikoi Hippotoxotai
Where the Skuda emphasises speed and attack, the Getikoi Hippotoxotai continues the tradition of added armour and hitpoints for all its units, making it on par closer to Greek cavalry traditions than it normally would be the case farther east. Getikoi Hippotoxotai may be weak in comparison to other cavalry archers, but their cheap cost and their added armour all synergise into a single unit that is cheap yet sufficiently formidable that if mass-produced, it can pose problems even to melee cavalry when used aggressively. It is still weak to hard counters such as armour-piercing melee cavalry, so when working with these units you should endeavour to keep them as far away as possible from them. See also *''Skuda'' History Although archer cavalry has always been a staple on the wide open Eurasian Steppes since the days of the chariot-riding Cimmerians, what may have distinguished the Sarmatians was the use of the lance. Although in close quarter combat a lance could be unwieldly and offered no protection, on the charge it could be immensely deadly, especially if used against unprepared targets. The Roxolani were thought to be a nomadic Sarmatian tribe that ranged what is now European Russia during the Classical Age. Initially they clashed with the Scythians, who may then have been absorbed by the 2nd century BCE. Together, the Scytho-Roxolani clans raided Pontus and the Greek colonies in the Crimea. Excavations in the steppes northwest of the Sea of Azov, between the lower Dnieper River and the Molochna River, have uncovered a number of Middle Sarmatian barrow graves, attributed to the Roxolani. They date mostly from the 1st century BCE to the 1st century CE, although some go back to the late 2nd century BCE. History From the 7th century BCE, the Scythians, a nomadic equestrian culture, shook the very foundations of Eurasia and fascinated the peoples of the Middle East and Levant for most of their existence. They first emerged out of the mists of time in the 7th century BCE hot on the heels of the Cimmerians, who had just lost their home to the Scythians and were raiding Asia Minor in search of a new home. The Assyrians, seeking allies to fight the Cimmerians, welcomed the emergence of the Scythians, and together they broke the power of the Cimmerians and subsequently subdued the lands that were to be known as Maedia or Media. For most of their existence, until their subsequent diespersal and annihilation by the Sarmatians, the Scythians would often play different roles, now as the allies and mercenaries of this or that country; then as hostile forces that would either harass Persia's borders or Greek colonies in the Black Sea region. They had no writing and built nothing permanent except their tombs, but fortunately buried everything from their world for the dead to use in the next. From these tombs, we know that although they were nomads, they also engaged in trade — Scythian barrows, especially those in northern Siberia and elsewhere, have yielded all manner of rich artefacts, ranging from golden jewellery and weapons all the way to Greek and Chinese imports or tributary objects. It was these very tombs which the Scythians goaded Darius into violating during his notorious and ill-fated expedition north into Scythian lands around 510BCE. Thankfully enough of these have survived intact for archaeologists of our time to investigate, and it is from these tombs' artefacts that we have been able to reconstruct what is otherwise an inexorable, elusive and mysterious force in human history. References *''The Guardian'', Real face of mummified warrior revealed at British Museum *''The Silk Road Foundation, The Scythians '' Category:Getae Category:Horse archers Category:Unique units Category:Medium cavalry